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ESPN still lists Clemson as the No. 1 team in their way-too-early top 25 teams for the 2018 season.

Clemson remains at one, Alabama remains at two, Georgia jumps from five to three, Ohio State goes from three to four, Oklahoma drops from four to five, and Washington jumps up one to six. The Tigers return a boatload of talent, and also ranked first in the Football Power Index, or FPI. "After falling short of winning back-to-back national championships, the Tigers should enter 2018 as a heavy favorite to win the ACC and make their fourth straight appearance in the CFP," they write. It's a long way away, but another Clemson-Alabama matchup could be percolating. Feb 18 - 5:46 PM

In the initial preseason release of ESPN's FPI metric for 2018, Clemson landed as the No. 1 team.

FPI weighs returning starters in the equation, which is what boosts Clemson over defending champion Alabama. The Tigers have 15 starters coming back, Bama a more modest 10. Those two teams slot at No. 1 and No. 2, followed up by Georgia, Ohio State and (somewhat surprisingly) Notre Dame. Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the initial FPI release is that the Big Ten's shaping up as a deep conference. Not only do the Buckeyes land in the top five, Penn State (No. 8), Michigan State (No. 10), Michigan (No. 11) and Wisconsin (No. 12) are all being viewed favorably by the metric. Less so national darling UCF, which does not find a home until No. 53. Feb 14 - 1:42 PM

Clemson HC Dabo Swinney said of proposed changes to the transfer rule, "You look at what's on the table now is free agency and total chaos."

"I understand there needs to be some changes, needs to be some modernization. But we've got to find the right balance," Swinney said. It's fair to note that the current proposed rule change would -- in part -- allow players to transfer without sitting out a year if their coach is fired or moves on. This is not, contrary to what Swinney alludes to, a case where the NCAA is looking to implement a free-for-all transfer system. The coach notes that part of the reason he's opposed to opening up restrictions completely is that it can be helpful for players to grow and learn when the chips are not falling for them, rather than giving them the option to immediately cut bait and run. A vote on the current proposed change to the transfer rule is expected to potentially take place this summer. Feb 10 - 2:31 PM

Rivals National Recruiting Analyst Adam Gorney believes that Clemson's 2018 class could help the school win a championship.

Gorney notes that Clemson may not even end up with a top-ten class at this point, but that's because of quantity. The quality of the players picked up is undeniable. "The Tigers have the best quarterback in the 2018 recruiting class in Trevor Lawrence, two five-star defensive ends in Xavier Thomas and K.J. Henry, a versatile five-star offensive line monster in Jackson Carman and a five-star receiver in Derion Kendrick, who is outstanding in space," Gorney writes. The numbers game won't allow them to call Clemson's class "the best," but the sheer talent here is very impressive. Feb 5 - 2:27 PM